Owner/driver Ron Cushing and trainer Heidi Cushing combined for a clean sweep of both divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday, June 14 at Cumberland Raceway.

In the first $16,029 division, 1-9 favourite Lysiun (pictured above) and Ron Cushing re-took the lead from Leanne Marie (Mike Cushing) in a :29.3 split. Following that reshuffle, the sophomore daughter of Dudes The Man-B Passionate made every call a winning one as she led the field through a softer 1:01 half and three-quarters in 1:30.2 while increasing her advantage to a couple of lengths. Around the final turn, Leanne Marie closed the gap and turned the final charge into a horse race, getting to within a half-length of Lysiun under the shadow of the wire. The latter held on to the lead and the victory, scoring in 2:00.3 for her second win in a row. Wishin For Kisses (Walter Case Jr.) finished third.

Bred in Maine by Lynne-Marie Plouffe, Lysiun is now two-for-three in her career. She paid $2.20 to win.

In the second $16,337 division, Glorilla scored a hard-fought victory in her season's debut. When the wings folded, top Cumberland reinsman McGwire Sowers urged Whisper Of Luck out to an early lead, with Audry (Steve Wilson) protecting position in second leaving 6-5 favourite Glorilla hung out to dry on the outside. With nowhere to go but forward, Cushing pressed Glorilla to the front, finally clearing after a :30.2 opening panel. The tempo eased through the second turn amid a softer panel as they hit the half in 1:01.3, which prompted Steve Wilson to pop Audry out of their three-hole spot just before the 1:31.3 third stanza and challenge for the lead. The pack raced in tight quarters around the final turn and down the lane Audry pressed the pacesetter on the outside while Whisper Of Luck looked for racing room up along the pylons. Glorilla held on to win by half a length in 2:02.3, equalling her lifetime best. Whisper Of Luck finished second and Audry was third.

Glorilla now has two wins in 10 starts. The daughter of Dudes The Man-Unknown Artist paid $4.60 to win.

(With files from Maine Sire Stakes)